Welcome American Dream Cottages Magazine!

There's a FAB new kid on the national newsstand home magazine block, American Dream Cottages, and I wrote a feature article for their premier edition which you can read here.

Thanks to my wonderful editorial and artistic team at Harris Publications, and to homeowner Susan Christopher, owner of the darling cottage furnishings store, Hydrangea Cove, for letting me write about her adorable San Diego home, and for providing the photos.  Her cottage is now a vacation rental so you can even stay in this little gem with its magnificent view of Sail Bay!    The magazine features huge glossy photos of all styles and sizes of cottage homes all across America so it's an enjoyable read and a great place for cottage style decorating ideas! Check the magazine section of your local national bookstore chain to buy the magazine.

Happy cozy cottage!

Kathryn :)

Happy Cozy Cave-Making, Couples!

Remember back in cave man days when a man had to go to great lengths to impress the woman he loved by treading through hail, sleet, and snow to slay wild beasts for her which she'd then cook up over a hot fire pit for his dinner?  And then he'd write love notes to her in hieroglyphics on their cave wall, and later he'd cover her up with his big fur pelt to protect her from the harsh elements?   (Okay, maybe writing love notes on the cave wall is a stretch, but you get the...um, "cave lifestyle" picture.  :)

Things were tough for guys back then in the home cave love department!

Well fortunately things have gotten so much easier for guys to impress the love of  their life in modern times!   After all, all my hubby Steve had to do here was haul all these (heavy!) boxes of new furniture in our car, (back seat down, car crammed, and the big desk box strapped to the outside of our trunk!), drive about 15 miles in heavy SoCal freeway traffic from our postal box place, (who called us annoyed that the boxes were taking up space!), and then schlep them up several floors via a small elevator in our urban high-rise to our apartment, being very careful not to scratch the elevator's highly polished floors.

Then all he had to do was uncrate every box, haul all the boxes and packing to the trash recycling bins several floors below, and then assemble about a million pieces of wood and screws, using assembly directions that looked like they were written in...cave man hieroglyphics!

Well my sweet "modern urban cave man,"  consider me, your "modern urban cave wife" of nearly 32 years, in awe of your middle-aged He Man-ness in furniture toting and assembly!   I'm very impressed!  :)

Alas, once our latest "furniture beast" was tamed,  I made my modern cave man his favorite meal to thank him--and I slaved over a hot fire pit for hours stirring that kettle!  (Okay, so it's really an electric oven and it took me half an hour!  :)  Plus I wrote him a love note, (a.k.a. the menu), on our fridge.

True love.

Ever notice how as much as things seem to change on the home front,

that they also stay the same?!

Happy cozy modern cave-making, couples!

Kathryn :)

La Jolla Secret Garden Tour 2012

It's La Jolla Secret Garden Tour time once again!   My hubby Steve and I attend every year for a fun mini-vacation day out in the SoCal sun together, and as a way to study new ideas for our own home space.   Then we have lunch at a bistro to cap the day off;  this year we enjoyed the charming little dessertier/bistro, Michele Coulon. 

Thanks to all the homeowners who so graciously shared their homes for the tour this year!  (And to the kind-spirited homeowner who offered to take this photo of us in his backyard, under his beautiful canopy!)

The first home had the swimming pool in the front yard, rather than in the back or on the side like most homes.

The details in this French Country home were absolutely impeccable inside and out, and I fell in LOVE with this curved brick ceiling. Wow, how unique!  

 

I also love the detail in their living room ceiling, as well as on the fireplace mantel.

Isn't this French Country kitchen to die for?!  I love the windows, the bar/island,the candelabra light fixture, ceiling beams, and of course, that divine farmhouse sink!

Adelaide's Flowers in La Jolla created this beautiful table.  Love, love, love Adelaide's flower shop! 

And here's a cute touch that Adelaide's table/event designer  Ginny Boland used that you could do at your own dinner party:  she wrote celeb names on all the placecards. (Guess who's coming to dinner?!)

This center outdoor patio was a great place for tour guests to mingle and chat.  I'd love to attend a party out there!

LOVE this family's shoe clutter containment!  Entryway shoe clutter got you down?  Ikea has some dandy shoe holders.   Or try a decorative trunk.

No time to plant and tend an outdoor garden like this one?  Silk plant time inside your home!

I love this beautiful scroll-design outdoor furniture!  If you want to try and mimic this look, try this collection from Ballard Designs.

How about a little summer siesta?

Be still my beautifully-set-table-with-a-Pacific-Ocean-view heart! I visualize special friends gathered here for an evening of good food, fun, and fellowship!  A toast to that; life is meant to be...savored!

The tablescape was designed by Portia Marque, owner of the lovely little French home boutique in  downtown La Jolla, La Maisonnette, and her fun young assistant,  Audra Brown.  (Like Portia's chic sun hat?  She has them for sale at her store in several colors.  Packable for travel!)

I LOVE what Portia did with the rose arrangement---so simple, yet so elegant.

I think this would be a great place to curl up with a book, with the ocean waves in the background, don't you?!

Doesn't this home feel like an elegant bed and breakfast inn?  My favorite place to stay when we travel is an inn, which is also another great place to get both indoor and outdoor decorating ideas.  You can find the best inns everywhere, in all price ranges,  at www.ILoveInns.com.  It's the first place I look when booking our trips.

  

Next we wound our way up a brick stairway, with the ocean in the background.

Neiman Marcus designed this beautiful table that overlooks the pool and Pacific Ocean.

 

Elegant charm...

And more charm!

Neiman Marcus created these beautiful place settings too.

Stunning blue!

Jasmine abounds in SoCal, and is often seen hugging quaint windows.

If you like casual and comfy Old World decor like this, The Old Painted Cottage features the "Cottage of the Month", which will give you wonderful ideas and resources.

I absolutely loved this kitchen with its whitewashed cabinets, black farmhouse sink, and view of a huge lemon tree outside.

Want white/neutral cozy cottage furniture similar to this at great prices? Try Rustic Rooster.  They also offer painting services for your existing furniture.  I've used their painting service and the quality of the job is superb!  I also bought my white living room loveseat there, and it's super comfy.

Home Decorators Collection has great little side tables similar to this one. 

Another place to cozy in with a great book!

French doors opening onto a charming brick patio is soooo quintessential SoCal--love it!

Silver and white...soothes.  Etceteras is a great place to buy silver trays.

Yes indeedy, this garden gnome is real!

Hope you enjoyed the tour! See you next year!

Kathryn :)

Small Space Organizing Now an International Amazon Bestseller!

Are you struggling with how to organize your small home, apartment, or condo?  Or do you have small spaces within your large home that you need to get organized?  My new book, Small Space Organizing, is now an international Amazon "Top 100" categorical bestseller!  (English language version.)  Rankings change hourly, but as of the writing of this post  on 5/14, the  Amazon status is below.

Blessings to all of you, from cozy cottage dwellers in tiny towns, to the bustle of urban high-rise homeowners,  for using my book to turn your home into a nurturing haven for yourself and your families, whatever the size of your space!  My latest Amazon book reviewer, (from Washington), just donated 40 of her cookbooks to Goodwill whilst decluttering, bless her heart!  Here's her 5 star review where she gives her pros and cons for buying my book in paperback vs. Kindle.  (Thanks for the helpful feedback, by the way!)

For your ordering convenience, in addition to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, my book recently became available at WalMart.com, and is available from many other retail outlets, Christian bookstores, and libraries all over the world. Here's a fun picture from my friend and colleague Elizabeth Hagen, who kindly emailed the pix to me when she saw my book in her Sioux Falls, South Dakota Crossroads Christian bookstore.  (I love Elizabeth's own new book,  Confidence: Now is Your Time.)

No matter whether you live in the U.S. or another country, you CAN get your small space home organized, and make it beautiful too!

Amazon international  "Top 100" categorical bestseller rankings, English language version, for Small Space Organizing:    (Rankings change hourly.)

Amazon.com main site/U.S. :
 

Kindle edition:
#1 interior design/decorating

#18 interior decorating

#69 motivational self-help

Paperback edition:

#92 interior decorating

Amazon France:

Kindle edition:

#3  interior decorating

Amazon Germany: 

Kindle edition:

#22  interior decorating

Amazon UK:

Kindle edition:

#55 interior design

Amazon Canada:

Paperback edition:
 
#71 interior design on 5/12/12, but not ranked in the Amazon Top 100 today, 5/14/12.  (Rankings change hourly, and new books are published often!)

Small space grace!

Kathryn :)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Kathryn